


Never Too Late - Tsukishima Kei

by Kimi09



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Hanahaki Disease, Jealous Tsukishima Kei, Protective Tsukishima Kei, Tsukishima Kei Being an Asshole, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:33:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26812963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimi09/pseuds/Kimi09
Summary: Tsukishima Kei and feelings. Not a very good combination, right? What happens when someone Tsukishima really respects, appreciates and actually loves finally confesses to Tsukishima Kei?
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei & Reader, Tsukishima Kei/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 88





	Never Too Late - Tsukishima Kei

**Pairing: Tsukishima Kei X Reader**

**Warning: Mention of Hanahaki Disease (?)**

**Genre|| Angst/Fluff**

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Why was he feeling like this? Why? He was the one who told her off then why would he even think about her? Why would he spend sleepless nights just thinking about her? Why was it Whenever he saw her smiling at him his heart broke into pieces.

Wasn't he the one who rejected her?

Then why is she staying close to him? Why isn't she leaving him alone?!  
She was his best friend yet he rejected her in the harshest way possible. He even saw her crying. He saw the weeks of insecurity. He saw the way she didn't leave his side as well. He saw the way she took care of him even after the harsh way be broke her in.

Then why is she still here, standing beside him, smiling at him yet that necklace on her neck showed who loved her. That necklace which had both of their initials carved on it was the thing that disturbed him most.

_"Hey! It's okay! I'm here for you, Kei! I promise okay? Even if the whole school hates you, I'll love you!"_

Was what she told him years ago.

He didn't think that she actually meant that she " _ **Loved**_ " him. They were still young back then. They were still kids yet she saw many things in him. They were middle-schoolers. They were immature but she always found a way to see through him and hold him extra close.

He admired the way she'd stand in front of him whenever someone was about to Make fun of him. He loved the way she'd punch whoever insulted him. She was feisty. He wouldn't deny that.

Even when he told her to stop that act, she stayed her reckless self. She always placed him first. She wouldn't miss a single birthday of his. She never failed to make his birthdays the best.

_"Kei! I'm so sorry! I had an exam today and I couldn't really do anything fancy for your birthday, sorry!" The female whined, feeling very disappointed with herself. The male looked at the balloons that were scattered around the room. Decorations hung there. Cookies- no, dinosaur shaped cookies, a beautifully decorated cake and some snacks neatly placed on the table. She wasn't able to jump at him and scream "surprise!" This time because he walked in when she was still placing the dinosaur cookies in place._

_"Are you always this extra, Y/N?" The tall blond asked, making the female grin at him. "That's Y/N for ya, Kei!" She laughed, Immediately taking out the bag of gifts that included the special edition book he wanted and some bew music albums._

_That's wasn't all. She had even taken the time to make a music album for him. He had complimented her voice a few times and she decided to take his favorite songs and record them herself._

_See his point? Special._

Then why the heck did he reject her? He could swear he could remember every tear that rolled down her cheeks before seeing her run off to somewhere more private. He didn't follow after though. He.. didn't know why. He just didn't.

She attended all of his matches, never skipping one. She never failed to make his name stand out. She made him feel proud about himself.

_**She made him smile and laugh.** _

"Tsukki, stop staring at Y/N-chan-!" Yamaguchi said, used to this behavior, knowing how deep Tsukishima was in love with the girl. The blonde was just oblivious about his feelings.

"I'm not staring." The boy mumbled, shifting his gaze to the book in his hand before stiffening as he remembered that this was the book _she_ gave him.

"Damn.." Tsukishima breathed out, standing up from his place before making his way to the roof, leaving Yamaguchi on his own as he tried to clear his head but that only made memories rush into his head.

_"N-No you don't!" The female who was only 9 stood in front of a wild dog as he seemed like he was about to attack them both. She held her wooden sword up at him, as if threatening the dog but it was clear how her hands shook and her lips trembled from fear. "K-Kei-chan! Go hide!" She told him, feeling that she was responsible of him._  
_"Oi- Y/N! I won't go without you!" The boy said before one of their parents came and shooed the dog away, Y/N Immediately hugging whoever was there and crying in their arms while whining about how scary it was._

"Idiot." He mumbled to himself, not knowing if he was calling her an Idiot or calling himself one. He turned his back against the railing as he looked at the area in front of him, another memory hitting him harder than the rest.

_"What's up with you today? You seem... fidgety." Tsukishima hummed as he looked at his shorter friend, walking his way up to the roof as they usually stay there every Monday for lunch. Them alone. It was their quality time. "Hm? Nothing really. Just thinking about a really important thing." And Tsukishima was satisfied with the answer. He wasn't pushy. He didn't push for more than that. He knew she wasn't lying either but he didn't know what this important thing was and maybe it wasn't any of his business._

_"Y/N?" He asked as the girl stopped walking, turning around to see what was stopping her. "Kei.." she Whispered his name, biting her lips in fear. She knew he was sharp with his tongue but if he was as sharp with the rejection, she didn't know what would happen to her._

_"I love you, Kei. I'm not guessing neither am I thinking. I know. I know deeply, deep down inside, I know that I'm head over heels for you. I know that you're one of the reasons I'm fighting life back. I love you, Tsukishima Kei and I always have." Her voice shook slightly, not knowing what to expect as her eyes looked at his._

_He had a shocked expression on his face for a few moments before a smirk took over his features. "Ara? So I'm_ _**your** _ _type?" He asked mischievously, seeing how her face expression changed from semi-confident to scared. "Sorry, Chibi, you're not_ **_my type._ ** _" He kept on with the act but Y/N wasn't able to hide her expression that Tsukishima didn't yet see. "Hmm.. how about you give me your friend's number?" That's when she allowed a sob to leave her throat, his eyes Immediately going back to her as he saw her face expression. He_ _**Broke her** _ _. There was nothing to do to repair what he had done. He was just Joking- maybe his tongue was way too sharp with those kind of teasing strategies._

_Y/N's tears slowly started to fall down her cheeks. The tears he hadn't seen for at least 2 years appeared right in front of him again and this time it wasn't_ **_for_ ** _him. It was_ _**because of him** _ _. Another choked sob left her lips as she let go of everything she had, allowing the bento box to fall off her hands as she ran off down the stairs, leaving him alone to realize that he didn't only break a heart but his best frind's heart._

_He looked down at the now open bento, brows frowning as he saw what was inside. She woke up extra early to make his favorite dinosaur cookies, decorated them as well. In between those broken cookies, was a cookie that was shaped different than the rest. Like the others, it was broken into several peices but he could tell what the initial shape was. It was a heart between the dinos. He picked up the peices and tried to make out what was written before gulping as he realized it's a Pickup line._

_"Baby, if I were a dinosaur living without you, I'd be a Tyrannosaurus Wreck."_

_She knew him too well. Now, he was almost so sure she'd be out of his life after how harsh he treated her._

"Why would you do that?" He asked himself, looking down at his hands that used to hold hers Whenever she was scared. Now, was she scared of him? Would she ever hold his hand now? Would she look for him when she needs someone the most?

It definitely wouldn't be him.

He knew. He saw it by his own eyes. She did try her best to act the same with him. She didn't want "dumb feelings" like she called them to ruin whatever the two had. But here they are, six months later, Tsukishima was still mourning his loss.

What was he now? He knew she stayed around but...

Was he someone she still wanted around? He was falling deeply into that trap now. Guilt was his biggest weakness now. He knew if anyone would mention Y/N in front of him, especially in an offensive way, he'd lose his cool right there.

The calm Tsukishima broke himself by himself.

Who knew a girl could break him like that?

"Kei!" A familiar laugh echoed through his ears, lifting his head up, looking at the female he loves, eyes softening as she smiled at him. 

Speaking of the angel.

"I was worried, Kei! Why'd you Suddenly leave like that?" She asked, jumping into his arms in a hug, smiling brightly as she pulled away to look up at him, her expression immediately changing as she saw his face, hand reaching to his cheek, making the taller boy flinch noticeably.

Y/N didn't stop though as she proceeded to wipe off his tears. She didn't ask and that just made him realize how much this girl still cared for him. She understood that if he wanted to tell her anything, he'd do it alone. She knew him way too much for his own liking.

"Hey," she whispered, taking his wrist, pulling him to a side and taking a seat, watching him as he sat beside her, his hands moving to take his glasses off to wipe away his tears but her soft gentle hand stopped him. "Shh.." she whispered, wiping his tears for him, her gesture reminding him that she is always there. It didn't matter if she was his girlfriend or not. She was there. "Hey, it's okay. It's just me." She whispered to him, smiling sweetly, assuring him that no one would hurt him here.

That pained him even more. This teared him apart into many different piece. He couldn't do it no more. He pulled her in his arms, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he allowed his tears to freely escape, small sobs emitting from his throat.

Y/N wasn't startled. This had happened before but she did let out a small yelp of surprise when he pulled her into his arms so fast. She knew that something broke him this bad and she didn't know what to say so she offered physical comfort. Hugs were always the answer.

But he did not know in what misery he put himself into. All he wanted to do was whisper 'I'm sorry'. He wanted to pull her close and kiss her until they both felt safe yet he couldn't do that anymore. He lost the opportunity. 

_He wasted it._

"It's okay, Kei." She soothingly traced shapes on his back, her other hand running through his hair, placing a small kiss on the top of his head while she did that. "I'm always here. I have always been, haven't I?" She asked, smiling gently. "I'll never leave you alone, I promise."

No, no, no! That's not what he wanted to hear. She should've screamed at him. She should've cried and yelled and started hitting him from how much he broke her. He'd die soon like that. He'd die from _envy._ He'd go insane with this painful feeling.

"Leave." Was the only word he muttered, expecting her to get hurt and leave.

"Never. I did that once but never again." She Whispered, sighing softly.

"Your boyfriend-"

"We already spoke about this, Kei. I told him you're my priority. I told him you'd come first in everything." She whispered, allowing a sigh to escape her throat. "I'm never breaking my part of the promise, Kei." She chuckled.

_"What's with that promise? You can't do that." Tsukishima groaned as he tried to understand what the girl was thinking about._

_"I can! You can't stop me Kei! I promise to keep you as my priority always! You'll always stay my best boy!" She giggled._

_"Best boy? Y/N, that sounds too cute for me." Tsukishima tried to argue but the girl's grin stayed there. "If you want me to change it then you have to catch me!" She laughed before running off, knowing that she was slower than him but she enjoyed those childish moments._

_"Caught you! Now change my nickname!" Tsukishima demanded, huffing slightly as he glared down at her, trying to hide his soft blush._

_"Fineee! You're best dino boy and I will not change that!" Y/N smiled sweetly at him, noticing how his eyes sparkled slightly before his expression changed as they had a little playful argument about changing the nickname._

_When the two kids who were not older than 13 finally calmed down and just stared at the sky, the female decided to speak._

_"Kei? I mean what I said earlier." She hummed out, sitting down, staring at his laying down figure, a grin stretching on her face. "I'll look after you always. Even if you went to Tokyo. I'll keep calling everyday and I'll keep checking on you. Even If I died one day, I'll watch over you from up there." She gleefully pointed at the sky, letting out a heartwarming laugh. "I promise, Kei! I'll be your best friend forever and always!"_

_"Don't say that! I wouldn't want you dead." Tsukishima shook his head, trying to shake off the thought, sitting down as well to look at her. "Don't make promises that you can't keep." He told her, Patting her head._

_"But I can, Kei. I will keep this promise." She held her Pinkie out for him, making him chuckle a little bit before locking his Pinkie with hers. She smiled brightly, her eyes twinkling with happiness and excitement as she leaned down and sealed the promise with a kiss on their locked Pinkies. "See? I sealed the promise with a kiss! Nothing shall break it!" She laughed._

"Don't make promises that you can't keep, Chibi." Tsukishima breathed out, warning her again, saying the exact same words he did almost 3 years back.

"But I can, Kei. I will keep this promise. Remember?" She asked, holding up her pinkie. "I sealed it with a kiss. Nothing shall break it-" she paused a little bit, like something pained her. "Kei- I feel slightly sick. I'll go to the toilet and I'll come later, okay? Remember, I'm always here." She smiled at him, glad his tears are now gone.

"I want you to be happy, Kei, always." She beamed and rushed away, waving at him as she did so.

"Happy.. huh?" He asked, throwing his head backwards to stare at the sky. "Can I fix everything?" He asked the sky, wanting to get an answer but he received none.

But if the sky could answer, it would say.

' _Hurry up you moron! There is no time!_ '

But did Tsukishima know that?

He didn't.

And that was the problem.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Tsukishima was scared. Y/N has been acting strange lately. She had been showing up less frequently and she had been running away more. When he asked her boyfriend about her, her boyfriend seemed just as clueless as him and that itself got Tsukishima mad.

" _ **How could you call yourself her boyfriend when you're just leaving her alone all the time like that? Huh, lame.**_ " He angrily pointed out before leaving the guy to deal with that anger alone, saying stuff like "who are you to tell me how to be a proper boyfriend!?" And similar things.

Almost 10 minutes after that, he found her walking out of the girls restroom, looking really tired and having small droplets of blood on her shirt.

"Y/N!" He called out, rushing to her, catching her by surprise. "Kei? What are you doing here? It's not Monday. Shouldn't you be sitting with Yamaguchi-kun?" She asked, raising her brow, following his eyes before realizing that he was looking at the droplets of blood on her shirt.

"What happened, Y/N?" He asked, eyes now soft that made the girl almost beg the lord to take him away from her. She stifled a cough, smiling at him before shaking her head. She had to lie. "It's just a nosebleed Kei! I was heading to check the girl's soccer team and... hehe.." she pointed at her nose then at the blood. "It just happened." She told him.

Her story didn't add up though. He didn't understand.

"Be more careful the next time, Y/N." He breathed out, pulling her in a hug, making her hold onto him tightly. "I will, Kei. I.. I will." She refused to promise but she wanted to do her best to reassure him.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

As if Tsukishima wasn't enough trouble for her condition, Y/N's boyfriend walked into the toilet while Y/N was coughing her guts out, flower petals falling out of her lips as she choked slightly, the thorns of the rose inside of her was making her sob in pain but care was not his first reaction.

Anger was.

"What is this?" His voice roared through the room as she tried to catch her breath. "One sided love? Excuse me? I gave you everything you wanted and needed! What is this?" He yelled, feeling betrayed.

Y/N though felt nothing right then. "You never did." She breathed out. Kei always did. She didn't want anyone else. She wanted Tsukishima Kei. He was the only one who could make her happy.

"You showed me off, yes. But have you ever thought of Kissing me genuinely if it wasn't in school?" She asked, now coughing even more, blood and petals covering the floor.

"Oh so you're asking for more than what I give you?" He growled at her, making her flinch.

The two really started in a healthy relationship but each of them had their faults which ended up in this.

"We're over, Youru." She mumbled, not wanting to argue even more and the boy Immediately walked out of the house, slamming the door after him, leaving her deal with her disease alone.

_** Hanahaki disease. ** _

_**A disease caused by one sided love.** _

\--------------------------------------------------------------

Rumors spread like lightning. Even Tsukishima heard about Y/N and Youru's breakup. They all said that Y/N broke up with the boy and the boy was Furious but Tsukishima wouldn't be surprised if that was true. 

He didn't like the guy anyways.

"Y/N?" He asked as he walked to the roof, the girl waiting for him, her usually bright E/C eyes now slightly dull and staring at the ground.

"I broke up with him." She admitted before he could ask his question, taking Tsukishima by surprise since she knew what he wanted to know. "Please don't ask me 'why?', Kei." She almost begged, her knuckles turning white from how hard her fist was clenched.

"You guys didn't last 3 months." He pointed out, not understanding anything.

"That's another way of asking "why?", Kei." She pointed out, sitting with her bento in front of her. "Cmon lets eat.." she mumbled, opening her bento which would be filled with goods and stuff but now only 1/4 of it was filled.

" _Why aren't you eating enough?_ " He now, asked the real question.

"I.. uh.. I didn't feel like cooking." She mumbled, which Tsukishima knew that it was obviously a lie.

He cupped her cheek and made her look up at him. "Oi, I'm always here." He said, using her own words to reassure her. At that moment, Y/N placed her bento down and brought herself into his arms, hugging him tightly as she cried into his chest, every sob leaving her lips hurting the blonde even more. "Shh.. I'm here.. it's okay." He whispered to her, beginning to whisper sweet nothings in her ear.

"Where is my strong lil N/N?" He teasingly asked, yet everyone could see that he was being genuine about that.

"Kei, I'm no longer little." Y/N managed to laugh a little, smiling as she felt his thumb brushing her tears away.

"So it's you taking care of me now?" She asked, smiling a little bit.

"I won't eat until you take half of my food." He smiled a little bit, knowing she wouldn't break her promise about looking after him.

"That's playing dirty." She pouted but laughed, hugging him even tighter, listening to his calming heartbeats.

"Thank you, Kei."

**\--------------------------------------------------------------**

Y/N didn't know what to do. She was crying out from pain, hands on her throat as her lungs ached for air yet she couldn't inhale enough air to help her body.

She knew Kei was on his way.. He was the one who answered her call. He was the only one who would answered her call at **2:47 AM.**

_"What is it, Y/N?"_

_"It hurts- Kei! Please come o-" a fit of coughs stopped her words, her phone falling out of her hand as she cried in pain, hands trying to stop all the blood from spilling all over the place._

_"Y/N!" his voice was now alerted of the situation she was in. "Y-Y/N! Hang in there! I'm calling an ambulance. Stay wherever you are!" The tall blonde begged as he didn't dare close the line, bursting into his brother's room to take his brother's phone to call the ambulance, running to the front door before explaining anything to Akiteru._

_He was shaking as he heard her cry and sob in pain, hearing every sound of what he caused. He didn't yet know what it was but he knew it was serious._

_"Please- We need an ambulance! Now-!" He cried out, rushing into Y/N's house with the extra Key she left with him, running to her room, seeing her on the ground, trying to breathe as blood and flower petals surrounded her._

"Y-Y/N-!" In less than a second, both phones were on the ground. His arms around the girl as he tried to put the pieces together.

They both read the book together. They both made fun about the Hanahaki disease, yet here she was, almost dying from it.

"Is it me? Is it me, Y/N? If it is please tell me." Tsukishima was now full out crying as he Couldn't do anything but hear her cries of pain, knowing that she had no time. "Talk to me! Don't you dare leave me alone! You promised you'd take care of me, then why are you leaving? Why are you making me do the work for you? Y/N!" He Couldn't even hug her in fear that she wouldn't be able to breathe.

And like that, Tsukishima watched them as they took her by the ambulance, sitting beside her as she seemed to be passed out, his hand holding her bloody ones, their clothes covered in blood. Her blood was smeared on both her and his skin as he was now begging anyone to save her.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

He watched the doctor walk out of her room, standing up Immediately even with dark bags under his eyes and body so weak, unable to walk properly. He was exhausted.

"She isn't in a stable state. We can't do anything to cure her but... Take out the thing from inside her. We need her consent though." The doctor shook his head at him, signaling that they didn't get her consent.

"She's awake?" He asked, sighing in relief as the doctor nodded yet he was still scared, scared of losing her.

There she was, sat down in the hospital bed, body slightly shaking as many wires were attached to her body.

Her eyes snapped to him when she heard the door open.

"K-Kei-" her lips trembled, scared of what was about to come.

All what Tsukishima did was sit on the chair beside her bed, knowing that she was holding back the cries of pain. Knowing she was still hurting.

"I'm sorry." Her hands were in his as he placed soft butterfly kisses on her knuckles. "I love you. I swear I do. I don't know why I did what I did to you but please, Y/N. Please give me a chance. Let me Love you. Don't leave me, Y/N. I'm begging you not to leave me alone. Life without you..." he trailed off, allowing a choked sob to escape his throat.

"Life without you, it's a lonely life.. it's miserable. You made me happy and I didn't realize that until that bastard took you away and I swear, since that day, I only wanted to tell you how Sorry I am and how much I love you, so please, Y/N. Please, stay."  
His sobs grew louder, eyes tightly shut as he held her hands securely.

"You can't leave me alone. I only have you. You're my special someone, Y/N. You're the one who found the real me. If you go, the same thing will happen to me and.. and I'll follow you into the land of souls but that would break your promise wouldn't it?" He asked, hoping he'd knock some sense into her. "Please, take the surgery." He begged.

"Kei.." she breathed out again, knowing that if his words weren't true, then the whole world was a lie. Tsukishima was an asshole but he wasn't a liar. He'd never lie to her even for pity.

Yet, Y/N had to ask the question. 

"Do you really love me?"

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she watched him in that state, her hands freeing themselves from his as she made him look at her, wiping his tears away.

"More than anything you'd ever think of" he declared. "I really do love you,  
Y/N."

"If you love me, You wouldn't want me to take the surgery." She Whispered. "It would take everything you love about me away." She sobbed. "I won't be able to feel anything if I took the surgery, Kei."

And that's when his world stopped.  
"What?" He asked, shaking his head in disbelief, not allowing himself to believe all that.

"...but," she Chuckled at him. "You can cure me, best dino boy!" She Sheepishly grinned, pressing a small kiss on his cheek. "Slowly, Love cures the Hanahaki disease." She told him and Immediately Tsukishima placed his lips on hers for a kiss, silencing her, his arms sneaking around her waist while her arms slowly wrapped around his neck, eyes closing as she savored the moment, feeling the thorns inside of her slowly starting to soften up.

Once their lips parted and their eyes opened, Y/N stared deeply into his eyes, not knowing what to say.

"Then I'll help you heal. I'll be there for you always. I'll never leave you alone, Y/N. I Love you." He managed to breathe out while trying to catch his breath.

"I love you too, Kei."

And there, the bright smile stood, covering Whatever fear Tsukishima held inside of him. He fixed his mistake.

**She is his.**

\--------------------------------------------------------------

**Word Count|| 4606**


End file.
